On this day in 1987, Pet Shop Boys' "Always On My Mind" took the #1 spot on the UK singles chart. This third #1 single was first performed on "Love Me Tender," a TV special commemorating the tenth anniversary of Elvis Presley's death. Their performance was so well-received that the group decided to record the song and release it as a single.

On this day in 1984, Duran Duran appeared on the "Razzmatazz Solid Gold Christmas Special," along with Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Big Country, Ultravox, Paul Young and Wham! Duran Duran had recently announced their 3rd single "The Reflex" from the album, SEVEN AND THE RAGGED TIGER.

On this day in 1975, CHICAGO IX - CHICAGO's GREATEST HITS started a five-week run at #1 on the US album chart. This made it Chicago's fifth #1 album. Here they are in the 70s performing the album's featured single, "I've Been Searchin' So Long."

Every Tuesday and Thursday, former Warner Bros. Records executive and industry insider Stan Cornyn ruminates on the past, present, and future of the music business.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sometimes in the Raw

The Chili Peppers were medium Hot back in 1990. Like “Pink Hot.” They’d been on EMI Records but that deal was over. So they put themselves out on the industry’s “Availables” menu, and record labels bid with gusto. Warner Bros. Records bid high, but were outbid by Sony/Epic, Warners’ biggest rival. At Warner, that loss made us feel a bit less Hot.

Warner’s head Mo Ostin phoned one of the Peppers, their singer-songwriter Anthony Kiedis, to congratulate the Peppers on their successful deal with Sony.

Kiedis was impressed by the call he got from the losing label’s Ostin. He told the Peppers about it, how Ostin, “the coolest, most real person we had met during all these negotiations had just personally called to encourage me to make a great record for a rival company. That was the kind of guy I’d want to be working for.”

40 years ago, on this day in 1973, Deep Purple Mk3 (with David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes) played their first show in K.B. Hallen, Copenhagen. Here they are with their Mark 3 line-up the following year.